Spring-wheel.



J. C. HAUGHY.

SPRING WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 19H.

Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 IN VEN TOR.

J 65]] h 3m my j fin ng A TTORN E YS.

WITNESS:

1. c. HAUGHY. SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 19!].

1,283,%07., Patented. Oct. 29, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

tan ed. tiaUeHY, or salt rnAncIsoo, cALIFonnIA.

mentor, i a

This invention relates to a spring wheel and particularly toimprovements on the structure shown 'inaPatent; No. 1,051,517, issued toL.- L. Rogers,. January 28th, 1913, entitled Vehicle wheel.-

Oneof the objectsof thepresent invention is to provide'a simple,substantial telescopmgguiding and supporting spoke for each springinterpdsedbetween the hub'and inner rim of thew'vheeLand in conjunctiontherewith to provide means for retaining said spokes against accidentaldisplacement when subjected to abnormal shocks',strains or breakage.-Anotherobject of the invention is to provide a positive-drivin couplingbetween-the hub and the rim of the wheel, which will permit a freeradial movement of the rim in any direction with relation to the hub,and also to provide a housing for i11 closi thetelesc ping spokes, sprins and the 'ecaplin-gaswill hereinafter be more Further objects willheremaft'erappefari j 1 The"invention consist's'of the parts andtheconstruc'tion and eombination of parts as hereinafter more fullydescribed' and claimed, 'haiiin'g-referenceto the accompan ifig-utawiagsin'whi'ch Figure 1: is aside utmost bribe wheel showing the frontcoiierreiiioved;

W Fig. 2 is a detail transverse section through Figi' i is a sideelevation ofthe inner rim and hub,-showin "the telesco ing spokesandsprings rerndire'd to expose the driving coupling. M 1

Fig; 4 is a erspective yiew'of; the intermediate-'- member: of thedriving couIJling.

' WFig. 5 is a detail section, showing atmodiindicates anaxlespindla'hubmembe'r adapted to freely turn: on the spindle, 3 an l 35 inner rimresiliently supported withrelation to {the -hub, as will 4 ;an"o'uterrimrand carried by said rn'niw 5 a suitable-form of tire Rigidlysecuring the inner rim in a con- Referring to} the in detail, A;-

her'einafter be described,

'siit nawnnnt.

Patented eat. an, this.

centric position with relation to the outer rim is a. plurality ofhollow metal spokes 6, and rigidly secured to the hub member, by a key7, is a collar 8 inwhich is formed a plurality of semi=cylindricalseats9. Formed in the inner rim, in central alinement with eachhollowspoke 6,is a socket-shaped seat 10, and interposed between each pair of seats 9"and 10 is a telescoping spoke member which consists of a tubularsection 11 and a rod-shaped section 12;

Formed on the inner end of the rod section is a head member consistingof a collar 13 and a bearing section 14 which is adapted to fit the seat9, and formed near the outer end of the tubular section on the spoke andformedintegral therewith orotherwise secured is a spherical-shapedbearing member 15 which is adapted to engage the seat 10. The seats 9are in direct alinement with the spokes and the seats 10 and the numberof telescoping spokes employed depends entirely upon the size of thewheel constructed and the number of rigid spokes 6 employed.

Interposed between the collar formed on each tubular spoke section andbelow the spherical bearing members 15 and the collars 13 formed ontherod sections of the spokes 'is a flexible housing consisting of acomparatively light coil spring 16, and surrounding said spring is asecond comparatively heavy supporting spring 17. The spring ].7surrounding each spoke forms a resilient support between the'inner rimand the hub of the wheel and, therefore, permits a i'ree radial movementof the hub with relation to the inner rini when the load is applied orwhen undulations in the road sur face are encountered, that is, the axleand spindle supporting the hub remains, com paratively speaking,stationary while the wheel proper assumes an eccentric position withrelation to said members whenfop crating;

The wheel constructed as here shown may beemp'loyed as a driving wheelor asa front wheel. The structure emplbyedfl in'each in i stance iscomparatively"similar, with the exception that the hub is free o revolve7 about the spindle in one instancewhileiit is seats, due; to shock orvibration, cannot pos- (ill:

siblytake place where pins of the character described are employed asthe outward move ment of each spoke-is positively limited by the pinsand the pockets retaining same. Similarly, displacement laterally isavoided by means of a bearing disk 21. Displacement of the outer ends ofthe spokes with relation to their seats is also avoided as theprojecting ends of the tubular sections of the spokes are made so longthatthey extend a considerable distance up into thehollow spokes, thusserving as guides and insuringa positive return of the bearing members15 with relationto their seats if they should become displaced.

* 131;eakage of e1 her the'rod or tubular sectiompf. each individualspoke is taken care of,;by ,the flexible housing or coil spring 16, thatisp-the broken parts, if breakage should talgeplace, will be inclosed orhoused in by saidjspring and are thereby prevented from falling-mm andinterfering with the operation, ofiy;any;;other part of the mechanism.Each;.spokennember is, therefore, not only mtlf ediagainst accidentalremoval with relation ,t thejnnen and outer seats but is alsosodIlQlOSQd that/broken parts cannot possibly becomegfreeorl'disarranged. to such an extent as to interfcre, With the operationof any othenspokeprg e,coupling 20., Telescoping.ctanyi-;spokensnalsoataken care of by the inner; springs o. gfiexible 1housings 16, "if one f;t. 1eI-Quter springs-shouldhappen to break,aside-ten ion of saictinner;sp gs is s fficienti .t ,,ialwaysiinaijn an.each spo e in e endc ucsition ion inaengagcm W h i s resp etirereariusasea si in W lto-linediascami tegra.[part oiththe inner 1m3:..1sim earchousins;se tion K221551511 Which is formed a comparativelylarge central nemasZhitwnush whialrtllahubiz extends ELILQlJlI nWh' Qb Eiel.-vl l} m1 l ml; to; trecly m v mi: ny.e at sl diqec gonictSecured?n'ath uiu iiace ttheli sn sisestaon is ai-na r qfrnnpe esl ralllvschsposedi members 2.5,aandisee eeatonthet uh,dertmsanst tthez are ise szgflronthe i enortane few-lupln lsise'cur paurntkey;mem s fiawillhgsaas; .pqsi ilnrh pnssdjw th re ation-tn; ea lne her angina-tithe sameilllilesflmnlwfilpi in eachside of said'ring are keyways 28 and 29 thekeyways 28 being formed for the re- "ception of the keys and the keyways29 ffor thereception of the keys 26. D r The coupling thus constructedforms'a driving connection between the rim of the wheel and the hub.This form of coupling. is known in generalwpractice asthe.01d-

ham? coupling and is generally employed where radial oreccentrmmovementof two aimed driving members lsdes red. I.

The housing 23and 1131122 arenfireality splined with relation to theintermediate disk 27 and, herefore, form avpositive driving connectionbetween thefhub .andithe wheel in a'circumferential direction, butfatthe same time permita: freedom, of. movement eccentricallyior radiallyof the wheel with relation to the-hub. -The:'inner ri1n3 and the rearhousing section23 formed .integral therewith forms anannular cover orhousing'member not: only for the coupling shown but also for thehub, thetelescoping spokes and the springs surrounding same. The housing. may,therefore, be filled with grease or any other suitable lubricant whichis permitted to lubricate. all the moving parts, said grease beingprevented from escaping by providing a removable front cover 30 and aninner plate 31, which is secured on the hub exteriorly of the housing23. I

The only sliding. faces presented are formed between the housing 23 andthe disk 31 and as these areheld in comparatively tight contact withrelation toeach other by means of a hub cap 32, it can readi be seenthat comparatively little leakage,i any, can take place as aheavy greaseis preferably employed. Paeking rings of any sultable description may,ofcourse, Qbe interposed between thesliding faces23 and 31, if desired,but actual; practice has demonstrated that this .in most instancesis"I111? necessary 7 j The materials and finish of the-several partscomprising thewheelsand also including the tire 5 may be such as theexperience and judgment of themanufacturer may dietate. V 1

form of the rim structure A y, modified shown in Fig. :2 is shown inFigr 5. ;The seats 10 are here pressed from the metal body of the rim toincrease: the bearing surface and the inner end of each pocket or seatthusformed is slotted, as at;4c0,'n:to permit the tubular end of thespoke section tozproggtthrough, M a

several parts herein shown and de g ib d 1i?%) I. wish it understoodthat variouscha-nges, m the constructlonand arrangementof thetheirrespective seats in the may be made without departing from the spirit ofmy invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. A vehicle wheel having in combination a series ofhollow spokes, an inner and an outer rim secured by said spokes, a hubmember interiorly of the inner rim, radially disposed, telescopingspokes interposed between the inner rim and hub, a bearing member oneach end of the telescoping spokes, alined seats in the inner rim andthe hub for the reception of said bearing members, the seats in the rimbeing in alinement with the hollow spokes, a pin on each inner bearingmember adapted to secure it against accidental removal with its seat inthe hub, an extension on each outer bearing member extending into eachhollow spoke adapted to guide the outer bearing members and secure thesame against displacement with relation to their respective seats in therim, and a coil spring on each telescoping spoke interposed between thebearing members.

2. A vehicle wheel comprising a hub and a rim, a plurality of radiallydisposed telescoping spokes interposed between the rim and hub, abearing member on each end of each spoke, alined seats in the rim andhub for the reception of the bearing members, a recess formed in oneside of each hub seat, a pin on each inner bearing member projectinginto said recesses to secure said bearing members against removal withrelation to hub, means on the outer bearing members for maintaining thesame in alinement with their respective seats in the rim, and a pair ofcoil springs on each spoke interposed between the bearing members.

3. A vehicle wheel comprising a hub and a rim, a plurality of radiallydisposed telescoping spokes interposed between the rim and hub, abearing member on each end of each spoke, alined seats in the rim andhub for the reception of the bearing members, a recess formed in oneside of each hub seat, a pin on each inner bearing member projectinginto said recesses to secure said bearing members against removal withrelation to their respective seats in the hub, means on the outerbearing members for maintaining the same in alinement with theirrespective seats in the rim, a pair of coil springs on each spokeinterposed between the bearing members, and means on each inner bearingCopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe maintaining the outer bearing alinement with respectlve seats ratedto receive the tube bearings and said rod members being suflicientlylong to extend through the perforated tube bearings and the perforatedseats in the rim to hold the tube bearings in alinement with the rimseats, means on each bearing member for securing same against endwiseremoval with relation to the hub seats, and a coil spring surroundingeach rod and tube member and interposed between the bearing members.

5. A vehicle wheel comprising a hub and a rim, a plurality of radiallydisposed telescoping spokes interposed between the rim and hub, saidspokes each comprising an outer tubular member and an inner rod-likemember slidably mounted in the tubular member, a socket-shaped,perforated bearing near the outer end of each tube, a bearing member onthe inner end of each rod, alined seats in the rim and hub for thereception of the bearing members, the seats in the rim beingsocket-shaped and perforated to receive the tube bearings and said rodmembers being sufiiciently long to extend through the perforated tubebearings and the perforated seats in the rim to hold the tube hearingsin alinement with the rlm seats, means on each bearing member forsecuring same against endwise removal with relation to the hub seats,said means comprising a pin on one side of each inner bearing member anda recess formed in one side of each cooperating hub seat into which saidpins project, and a coil spring surrounding each rod and tube member andinterposed between the bearing members.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing wltnesses.

JAMES C. HAUGHY. Witnesses:

JoHN H. HERRING, D. B. Rrormnns.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

